Mosquitoes Bite
by Little.Old.Lady007
Summary: (2) Follows Circle of Mistrust. (You won't be lost if you haven't read it though) A Beckett-flavoured murder of a middle class family man is handed over to the 12th. Five months pregnant, desk bound Beckett isn't too keen on the idea of letting Esposito and Ryan do all the running around. Mix of fluff and a little procedural.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

It could be really late, or very early depending on the perspective. He turned and squirmed, trying to get himself into a comfortable position. All this movement slowly pulled Kate out of her much needed sleep. Eyes still shut; she braced herself and took in a few deep breaths. The hand clutched close to her chest wandered to the other of the bed, only to find it cold and empty. Calmly, she opened her eyes and slowly, the fogginess in her view dissipated.

Her view now completely unobstructed by sleep, she jerked up into a half sitting position, supported on her elbows, realizing she was alone. She anxiously scanned the bedroom. He wasn't anywhere in sight. She rotated until her feet fell to the floor and slowly lifted herself up. A hand nervously passed through her messy hair.

_Great, now I have to pee. Thanks for that, bud._

With a pit stop to bathroom, she started by peeking into his office to make sure her husband wasn't caught up in his latest Nikki Heat installment. She hated when he pulled all nighters, but as he always reminded her, he couldn't control when inspiration hit him. She opened the door and quickly glanced around the room, empty. Tiptoeing out, she turned and headed for living room only to fall face to face with her husband.

"Castle? What the hell?" she let out.

A moan was the only reaction she got from the man huddled up on the couch.

Kate got closer and asked in a semi-joking, semi-pissed off voice, "Castle, why are you sleeping on the couch? Did we have a fight? Because I don't recall. I know I have pregnancy brain and all but…"

Kate got another moan in response as he turned over on the couch, now facing its back and she was amazed at the depth of his sleep.

"Rick?" she asked softly.

"Hmmm?" He rubbed his eyes and peered at the DVR, 4:32. Sheepishly, still very much in his sleep, he asked "Why are we awake?"

He turned his head around towards her and upon seeing her, suddenly, he jerked up, "Oh the baby!" His feet were on the floor in no time. He stood completely erect, sleep having instantaneously vanished from his expression. He panted, his eyes filled with worry, "Is everything okay with the baby?"

Kate smiled and looked at him lovingly as she presumed to soothingly pat her abdomen. She took a few steps in his direction until her arms were safely around his neck, her small bump accosted on him. Peering up, she answered, "Relax Rick." She gave him a chaste kiss, "Everything is fine with our son, Castle, still very active. He isn't coming out for another 4 months." She let go of him and took a step back so they'd be facing each other before adding and on hips, "It's his mother that panics when she wakes up mid-night to find herself alone in their room. You slept on the couch?"

"Yeah…" he started and his wife arched an elbow inquiring more.

"Kate, it's just, you…Kate, you" he searched for the words, the right words that wouldn't make her angry. These days, with the hormones raging, he still had difficulties determining what would set her off. Seeing as she was becoming impatient, and that he couldn't find any way to say it, he blurred out, "You snore." He smiled and nodded as her head jerked back in surprise, "You snore a lot."

"I do not!" she declared.

He breathed in and sighed, smiling he explained, "But Kate, you do. It's been going on for a couple of weeks now. Sometimes it's manageable, but when you're really tired you… You snore like a trucker. And last night, you snored like one."

"You should have told me, Rick."

"Usually Kate, I can sleep just fine. It's no big deal."

"How long?"

"How long. What?"

"How long have you been sleeping on the couch?"

"Just a couple of nights here and there, I usually jump back into bed in the wee hours of the morning or get up to prepare breakfast if I hear you get up before me."

"I'm sorry, babe. But you should have told me."

"Makes me think, what are_ you two_ doing up at this god forsaken hour?" he said as he grabbed her forearm and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Resting her head on his chest she answered, "Your kid hates to sleep. He was moving a lot and when he finally settled on a position, well, I had to pee."

He laughed. "Of course you did," he said as planted a kiss on her forehead.

Squatting down and lightly kissing the small bump of her belly, he placed his hand just to the right of her navel and asked to her stomach, "Hey, Capt. You keeping mommy awake again?"

Kate light-heartily laughed. "Castle, you calling him the Captain of my Bladder was cute and funny at first but now-."

He laughed, "Oh, come on, Kate. It's hilarious. And so very accurate."

She placed her hand atop his and smiled. He was right. This baby always seemed to be resting on her bladder. Never in her life had she thought someone could go pee as much as she was.

His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Hey, makes me think. I think I found the perfect name!"

She arched an eyebrow, bracing herself for what was about to come. The man wanted to call his firstborn Cosmo for the love of god.

"Malcolm."

She looked at him pensive, nodding her head slightly, repeating the name in her head.

_Malcolm. Malcolm Castle…_

Liking the sound of it, she tried it out loud. "Mal…" she started and suddenly, it hit her, "Castle, not again with that silly show!"

His mouth opened wide, his eyes in shock, "Silly show!?" He dramatically placed his hands over his heart and stumbled down into the couch in defeat. "That hurts, Detective Beckett."

She laughed at his theatrics and sat down beside him. She grabbed his arm and playfully rolling her eyes she stated, "Get up!" as she pulled him into a sitting position,

"Malcolm _is _a Kick-ass name." he starts as he leans in slowly, sucking on her jugular. His lips patiently making their way to her jaw, then her cheek and when his lip are almost on hers, his hands grabbing her hips, he adds, "And I happen to know you also love the show. We happen to share a Netflix, detective. I _know_ you're 4 episodes ahead of where we left off."

He could see her color change beneath his eyes. Burying her face in his neck as she mumbled, "You were away. I missed you."

"What?"

"3 weeks ago, you spent the week-end in LA promoting the third graphic novel."

"Yeah?"

"I was stuck here, and I missed you."

"Okay…"

"Captain Mal…"

"Yeah?"

She blushed even more, she couldn't believe what she was about to say, "He helped. He made me miss you less. Because you know… he looks a little bit like you…"

His smile was now huge, "Yeah? Oh, wow. He does, doesn't he?"

"A younger, and handsomer version of you perhaps." She added teasingly.

"Ouch. Beckett. Again with the hits."

"Get over it" she stated as she pulled on the collar of his shirt bringing him down with her as she laid down on the couch. Her hands fiddled with the hair at the back of his neck, their eyes locked in each other's, as Castle's body toppled hers, she added, "I'm not saying no to the name. I'll think about it."

She didn't want to admit it, but she really did like the sound of that name.

Her mouth found his and slowly her hands descended, groping, playing. She plunged under his shirt, caressing his bare back, his hips. His hands expertly pulled her shirt over her head as his mouth found a new playground. His tongue teasingly trailing her sternum, her hips arched with need, when the familiar ringtone echoed in the loft.

Both simultaneously groaned and Rick laying his forehead in the crook of her neck stated, "They always have such great timing."

Her breathing still quick and her lips plump, Rick watched as his topless wife hurried to their bedroom.

A couple of minutes later, she came out of the room nodding, a sleeping shirt on, and Castle groaned again.

_Damn murders always getting in the way._

Still in his thoughts, he barely registered the conversation going on behind him. He turned around when he heard, "Perfect, we'll be there in 20. See you there."

He looked at her, "Kate, you're 22 weeks pregnant. They shouldn't even have you be on call anymore."

"Come on Castle, I like the body drops. I've been semi-benched for weeks now. Only active crime scenes polluted with officers. I do interrogations with suspects and family, but in only in the vicinity of the precinct and I do lots and lots of paperwork. Ryan and Espo, are having a kick about it, actually. I've been very diligent about staying safe, just leave me this."

"I know, it's just, you should be getting sleep."

"Castle I went to bed before 9 yesterday."

"It's still so early, you could have had more."

She pointed at them back and forth while adding, "Right sleep, because that's what we were doing."

He sighed loudly and leaned back into the couch.

"Besides, Castle," she adds grabbing his neck and kissing his cheek, "You're going to be so glad I was still on call for this one."

* * *

Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?

I haven't read that many "baby fics" and I don't know if that name is overly used, but I just couldn't help myself, doesn't mean the name will stick. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

They had gotten ready in record time despite Castle's protests and whining. Add to that the fact that it was so early, they actually bypassed the morning traffic; it was still dark when Castle and Beckett arrived at the crime scene on the chilly December morning. She parked the Charger behind the other cars, some of them still flashing their lights, on the side of the road. The wind made her shiver as she pulled her coat close, over her protruding bump.

They weren't far, but they had to finish the path on foot. When they were close enough, the partners saw the group of people huddled at the foot of a billboard. Given the early morning, both the detective and the writer were surprised by the number of curious faces already trying to peer through.

The officer in uniform lifted the tape for them to pass through, giving Beckett a look conveying sympathy. He smiled at her with compassion as he eyed her growing bump. She brushed it off, but internally, she hated him for it. Being a woman on the force was hard enough, being a pregnant one was even worst. It wasn't that people treated her badly; it was just that people treated her differently, like she was a fragile glass doll.

She had opted for baggy clothes at first, trying to conceal it. She wasn't ashamed; she just hadn't been ready to be the pregnant one yet. There was no hiding it anymore, she looked very much pregnant. Everyone could see it now and she couldn't help and feel judged by the world. Every smile, every look, every hand to help her, felt like a criticism on how she was handling it and somehow, she despised them for it. She hated herself even more for letting it affect her.

Despise was a strong word, but with the hormones emphasizing every little emotion she felt, despise was exactly how she felt about the officer supporting her elbow as she bend down under the yellow tape on the chilly December morning.

As they approached the crime scene Castle, peered up in awe. Turning his head towards his wife he asked smiling, "What the hell?"

Beckett shrugged her shoulders and shook her head as they continued their way towards the others. Their footsteps echoed on the cold path and as they approached; the sea of familiar faces turned in their direction.

Esposito smiled as he greeted the two partners, "Hey, Mama Bear!" He said to Beckett before turning to Castle, matter of factly stating, "Papa Bear."

"Shut it, Espo," she shrugged off shooting him the look she was famously known for, continuing her way towards another group of people a couple of feet away.

Esposito looked at Castle with wide eyes, biting his lip to contain the smile, as he added in a lower voice, "Got it. Cranky Bear."

Castle didn't follow his wife. He stopped and stayed with the detective and he answered, while shooting glances towards his wife, almost in a whisper, "Yeah… hormones can be a bitch," as he gestured a wavelike motion with his right hand.

"I heard and saw that, Castle," called Beckett as she came back to the guys, Ryan following her closely. "And, not as much hormones as the damn lack of caffeine, the fact that I pee every 5 minutes, gas, bloating and the fact that I'll soon be as big as a house. But hey, who am I to complain, right? Pregnancy is beautiful and all that. Now, on with the case, shall we?"

Castle smiled tenderly, took her by the shoulder and brought her in closer, kissing her temple, "You have every right to complain, when you're growing my tiny human, Kate."

She quickly pulled away, glaring him down, hands on her hips. Her facial expression, which Castle correctly recognized as her 'What the hell do you think you're doing here?' face, had him petrified. He had just seriously messed up. He knew how she felt, but he had gotten carried away in the moment, and yes he knew she wanted to kill him right about now.

Castle stumbled on his next words, still very startled by the look his pregnant wife was still giving him. "Yeah, right…Sorry. So guys, what the hell happened here?" He attempted while turning towards the guys.

Ryan, quickly catching on that it was best for all of them to focus on the case right now, answered "Not sure yet, a concerned citizen called it in at 4:15 this morning. He's still with Hadley over there." He pointed to an officer in uniform and a young man.

Castle still in awe at the crime scene they had stepped into asked, "How do up think he got up there?"

Beckett now more relaxed, happy the conversation had steered away from her, jumped into the exchange, "The better question is why would anyone give them self the trouble of smashing someone against a billboard?" she asked as she walked closer to the foot of the sign, and the three men followed her.

"Lanie?" she screamed to the woman perched out on the crane, examining the body stuck to the sign.

"I'll be down in a minute, honey!" the ME screamed back.

And Beckett put her thumb up and lifted her hand high.

The four of them stayed there, watching the doctor work in fascination. They waited until the crane lowered her to the ground, just beside them. As she got out of the box and unstrapped herself, Castle jokingly said to her, "Good thing you aren't afraid of heights."

"I didn't know this would be a factor when I signed up for this job. God, I hate the creepy ones," she shivered at her last words as to prove her point.

Beckett and Castle shared a look and a smile, which Lanie caught onto, "I know. I know. You two married nut bags love them."

Castle chuckled. They did.

"So Lanie, what do we have?" Beckett asked.

"Really not a pretty site that's for sure."

"I bet. He looks like the tiny insects that keep smashing into my windshield when I'm on the highway," added Castle, disturbed.

"Anything you could tell us right now?"

"I'll have to compare dental records to be sure but, his wallet was in his pockets." She extended her arm with the evidence bag in hand, exposing the wallet covered in human fluids and tissue. Ryan and Esposito shared a disgusted look.

"His name is Sebastien Franklin. The force of impact had him explode on the billboard. And when I mean explode, I mean explode. His whole body is mush, that's why his wallet looks like… well like _that_. I really hope I'll be able to work with the dental records."

"Do you know what did this to him?"

"My best bet is he was dangling from a small plane when he hit the sign. Helicopter would be too slow. But that really isn't my area of expertise; you'd have to check with forensics. I'm not sure it will be possible, but when we find a way to get him down and take him to the lab, I'll try to determine if he was dead upon arrival."

"Thank you, Lanie."

"No problem," added the doctor before shaking her head and grumbling, "People are sick bastards," and turning around to walk away.

* * *

Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?


	3. Chapter 3

Beckett sighed as she walked out of the interview room. She and Castle were getting out of an emotionally straining conversation with the victim's wife. How do you tell someone their spouse was found smashed into a billboard like a common bug on a window? How do you tell a woman she won't be needed to identify the father of her children because his body doesn't even look human anymore? You can't, because stuff like that isn't meant to happen.

Almost an hour later and they hadn't really learned anything pertinent to their case. At least they had learned a little more about their victim but there was nothing to explain the tableau that had been painted for them that night. Sebastien Franklin had been missing from his bed in the morning. It was a safe bet to assume he was the vic stuck to the 'Budlight' advertisement billboard in the early morning.

They seemed like the typical middle-class family. He was an electrician; she was a third grade teacher. They had 2 grade school level kids and no financial problems, no known enemies. More importantly, the wife couldn't recall a single person in their entourage that either owned a plane or knew how to pilot one. Nothing popped up for either Beckett or Castle during that interview; nothing triggered their 'lizard brains.' Without even talking, the single glance they shared as they got out, both agreed she wasn't their killer. The partners walked towards the murder board to fill in the little information Beckett had managed to extract from the wife between the incontrollable sobs of the wife.

Castle, leaning against the edge of the desk, checked his watch as Beckett finished up with the timeline. It still looked very bare. Mr. Franklin had finished work at 5, like millions of New Yorkers, and headed home in the packed subway. He had gotten home around 5:30 and their evening went on normally, they had dinner, put the kids to bed, watched a little bit of television. It was routine. The victim and his wife had gone to bed around 11. She hadn't realised he'd slipped out of the bed until the next morning when she had woken up at 6:30 and he was nowhere to be found. The time of death, until confirmation from Lanie, was set between 11pm and 4am.

She capped the marker and brought it to her lips. Kate abstractedly tapped the cap on her lips as she studied the board and pondered. The angle between the two of them, gave Castle the perfect view. Only he wasn't looking at their board. She turned around a smile grew on her face when their eyes met and he could stay like this forever. The attraction he felt at that moment was magnetic. He checked his watch again and stood up. It was time.

"You ready, detective?" Castle whispered into her ear, his chest accosting her back.

His smell was overpowering and it was plain torturous. She breathed in loudly and Castle smirked as he pulled away.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she answered with a teasing grin.

"Remy's?" he asked completely impervious.

Castle had been the keeper of time for the better part of the pregnancy, telling her when to eat when she was at the precinct or when they should start thinking about leaving. In the beginnings, she thought she'd quickly get annoyed by his constant controlling, regulating and hovering. Had it been anyone else, she probably would be. No, she definitely would be. But even though she pretended to be; secretly she loved him even more for it.

She shook her head and smiled, biting her lower lip. He was right though, she was getting hungry, for food too. "Not exactly what I was thinking but sure, Remy's is fine," she muttered.

"I'll go check if the boys have the time to come."

She watched him walk away practically skipping and she chuckled to herself with a hand posed on her bump, having an internal conversation with her son.

_Daddy's pretty clueless, right buddy?_

She felt a slit kick and smiled, rubbing the spot.

_That's right, you chose wisely, little man. You and I teaming up will be so much fun._

* * *

Taking the time to eat lunch together almost every day had been very beneficial for the entire team. Not only was food somewhat crucial to the mortal human, but sharing a meal with the people they love distracted them from the incredibly hard stuff they came across every day.

Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Esposito were laughing loudly when the waitress came back with their orders.

"Come on, we all know who has the better detective skills here," exclaimed Ryan pointing both thumbs to himself with a confident smile.

Castle coughed loudly, pretending to choke on his lemonade.

"We might be considered like team B by Pulmutter, but we do most of the heavy lifting for you guys! We'd definitely win!"

Beckett added teasingly, "You guys found out I was pregnant, I was almost 4 months along! Your detective skills _are_ definitely in question here."

Esposito screamed in defense, "That's low. And unfair. Why wouldn't you tell us?

Beckett laughed.

"You told everyone but us! You told Lanie and you didn't even tell us," added Esposito.

"Of course I told Lanie! I swore her to secrecy though and was quite surprised the blabbermouth she is managed to keep her mouth shut. I wanted to see how long it would take you guys to figure it out on your own. As it turns out, it's a darn longtime!"

_Flashback _

"_You ask her," whispered Ryan nudging Esposito in the ribs._

"_You crazy? You ask her!"_

"_If she's not we're both dead, you know that right?"_

_They both sighed as they watched the detective in her chair not too far from them give them a questioning look._

"_We are, bro, we are."_

Ryan came in, trying to defend their honor, proclaiming "It's not bad detective work. It takes balls to ask a woman if she's pregnant point blank!" He exhaled loudly before adding, "Especially when that woman is you!"

Castle and Beckett burst out laughing. Esposito just shook his head, "Bro, you're _so_ not helping our case right now."

"What?" asked Ryan perplexed.

"Balls? You really want to talk about balls right now? Now your manly hood is also in question. You didn't even have the _balls_ to ask her!" Castle shot out.

Beckett, Castle and Esposito couldn't help laugh at the face Ryan was giving them. Castle and Beckett burst out hysterically and Esposito continued to shake his head with a grin.

_Flashback_

_They turned their backs to the detective, trying to devise a plan away from her incessant stare. _

"_Ohhh I know!" exclaimed Ryan in a hushed whisper._

"_You know what?" questionned Espo, always skeptical when it came to his partner's 'ideas'._

"_Let's ask her much less scarier half."_

_Both of them smiled and nodded._

_They heard the commotion in the break room and when they saw Castle inside, they knew it was their cue. They marched to break room and leaned on the counter looking at him, arms crossed._

"_Hey, guys. Coffee?" asked the writer who was busy pouring two cups._

"_Nope. We're good," answered Esposito as they both continued to stare Castle down._

"_Okay… What can I do for you guys then?" _

"_Beckett's been acting strange, right?" said Ryan nervously._

"_Didn't notice." claimed Castle, shrugging his shoulders, trying to hide a smile._

"_Oh come on!" replied Esposito, "She's pregnant, right?"_

_The three men immediately turned around at the sound of her voice. "You guys insinuating I'm getting fat?" challenged Beckett leaning into the doorway._

_The two detectives looked at each other with panic, eyes widened. It only took a few seconds for Castle and Beckett to burst out laughing._

"_Took you guys long enough!"_

_Esposito exhaled loudly, "Not cool, Beckett. So not cool."_

_Ryan jumped up and down smiling, "Mom and dad are having a baby," he burst out as he went over to Beckett and hugged her tightly. Beckett couldn't resist the smile as she replicated to the embrace._

"You're too hard on us! You managed to hide it pretty well," pointed Ryan.

"Gates knew."

"She didn't figure it out. You _had_ to tell her."

"She figured it out before I even had my appointment!"

Esposito gave Beckett an unimpressed look, "You're the one to talk, Beckett! That appointment you had, you were already 11 weeks along."

"Touché, detective Esposito, touché."

They all chuckled, as they went on devouring their burgers.

A couple of minutes of small talk later, Ryan suddenly stopped eating, hit by a revelation, "Wait a minute, guys."

His three partners looked at him questioningly before he exclaimed, "Did we just all agree, that Gates was the better detective here?"

They all look at each other before shaking their heads and simultaneously answering, "Nannnn!"

* * *

**I had so much fun writing this one, hope you enjoy!**

**As I did a 2 and ½ month time jump, you'll sometimes get flashbacks. If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know! I'll try to incorporate it somehow.**

**Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?**


	4. Chapter 4

The writer and the detective had both come back to the precinct after their lunch at Remy's with the boys; they had been stuck at her desk ever since. Ryan and Esposito had spent the afternoon canvassing the apartments near the crime scene, from where they hadn't returned yet. Castle and Beckett on the other hand, mostly Beckett in fact, had spent the afternoon making phone calls.

They still had no solid leads, no leads at all actually. If something out of the ordinary had been going on in his life, Sebastien Franklin had managed to hide it from his family and friends, but it was still early in the investigation. They were waiting for the financials, cell phone records, client list and pretty much anything they had in the system on the victim. This would take tech a couple more hours meaning Beckett would have to wait until tomorrow to sift through them. She needed to catch a break.

"Desk duty _sucks_," she grumbled over the phone she had shielded with her palm. She rolled her eyes as she brought the device back to her ear. They were wasting her time.

The detective had spent a better part of her afternoon talking with every airport in the area, big or small. A plane doesn't fly over a populated area of the city without anyone knowing about it. It had to have departed and landed somewhere. The vic was from New York, found in New York, surely the plane that had dragged him through a billboard wasn't from the Bahamas. Yet, no fixed based operator had been in communication with a pilot during the time frame she suspected the plane would have had to land. There had been a couple of private jet landings scattered through the state, but all of them too big to have flown this close to the ground safely. Either someone was withholding evidence or someone was very good at covering their tracks because thus far, she hadn't been successful in her search.

She hung up the phone with a little more force than necessary, "Still nothing, it's so damn frustrating!"

He looked up from his phone and watched as she brought her hand through her hair and leaned into her chair sighing loudly, covering her face with her hand.

"Tomorrow will pick up, Beckett. We just need to wait for the paperwork to come in. We'll be chasing-"

She cut him off dryly, "We won't. We'll be here dealing with the paperwork and politics, _again_. Damn paperwork and politics..." her voice trailed as she promptly got up and grabbed her coat from the back of her chair.

His eyes followed her, asking hopefully, "Home?"

"_Yeah._ There's nothing more to do here but wait. And I hate waiting around." He smirked at the comment and she glared him down, continuing, her hands placed on her hips, "I'm well aware that I'm a little moody, Castle."

He laughed light heartily making her pout a smile in return.

"Okay, _very_ moody then. Anyhow, the guys will call me if they discover something useful during the canvass."

"I know what New Yorkers are famous for, but seriously? How could no one have heard or seen anything?"

"I know. It's-"

"I'm sure we'll have something in the morning, Beckett. It's only the first day," he added while helping her into her coat. She shivered when his fingers came in contact with the nape of her neck.

Castle threw his coat on as they walked towards the elevator, passing by the captain's office and letting her know they were done for the day. Home before 6, desk duty did have its perks.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Upon entering, Beckett turned her head towards the man at her side, a timid smile on her face, cautiously asking, "Following me around? Not as fun as it used to, right?"

He smiled. "This is better, Kate. I wouldn't change it for anything."

The elevator doors closed behind them and he grabbed her by the hips and kissed her. Her hands made their way to the back of his neck as she hungrily kissed him back.

Never had she wished for the elevator to stall as much as she did at that particular moment.

* * *

Kate dropped her bag on the entrance floor, leaning against the red door and biting her lower lip. She looked at her husband.

Rick, taking off his coat and hanging it in the closet, turned his head towards his wife, "Hungry?"

Her eyes widened and she smiled, still biting her lower lip. He was probably talking about food. She wasn't.

He had missed her cues all day. The damn hormones were driving her crazy and he hadn't even noticed. He hadn't noticed she had been_ longing_ for the better part of the day, ever since he'd intruded her personal space before lunch. Every brush of their fingers over the papers had brought goose bumps along her spine, had gotten her heart beat up, the blood pulsing. The boring mess that was desk duty was nowhere near interesting enough to keep her mind off of it. The day had been torturous.

He looked at her his head bobbing to the side in concern.

"_Starving," _she teased again, looking him straight in the eyes.

Only this time, she wasn't taking the chance that her innuendo was going unnoticed. She took her coat off, letting it drop to the floor with a smile and a wiggle of her eyebrows. Grabbing her husband's waist, she pulled him to her.

Their lips moved in harmony as their tongues battled. His hands were zealously stoking her hair when they parted for air. With her hands roaming across his back she manoeuvred them to change positions, pushing him on the door. His back came in contact with the wood with a loud bang, but it didn't slow them down. He cupped her ass and she brought a leg up to his waist. She thought about taking him right there, right now. That is until she heard something upstairs.

_Crap. Alexis._

"Dad? Kate?" called Alexis from the hallway and immediately like two teenagers caught by their parents, they let go of each other. The couple stepped so far away from each other it looked unnaturally funny. Even if their arms were both extended, they wouldn't be able to touch.

The red-head emerged atop the stairs smiling at the picture of her parents. Like she didn't know what they were doing. Why did they think she had called out before getting to the top of the stairs? She wasn't a kid anymore, but still, there was line she didn't want to cross and they were flirting with it. The blush forming on Kate's cheeks was utterly adorable though and the way her father tried to hide it had her laughing.

"Pumpkin? What… What are you doing here?" asked Rick straightening his shirt and hair.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. I was kind of in a slump regarding this story, maybe due do the lack of reviews, but I won't be one to beg! Leave one if you feel like it, just know they make me happy.**

**Hope you enjoyed **

**Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?**


	5. Chapter 5

Alexis smiled at the top of the stairs and shook her head, they were adorable. Holding onto the ramp, she glided down the stairs, saying, "Dad. I know you've got, hum… _other_ things on your mind," to which Rick and Kate shared a chastened, slightly panicked look before Alexis continued, "But we talked last week. I told you I'd come home a bit after my last exam."

"Right. Yeah. -" Rick said and looked at his wife for confirmation. Kate smiled knowingly and nodded. They had been, in fact, informed. They really had no excuse. She could maybe blame the hormones. Rick, though, had absolutely no excuse.

"And your last exam was…" he continued.

"Yesterday."

"Of course. And you told us that already," he added and Alexis nodded. "We knew you were coming home, Pumpkin."

"Sure you did," the girl answered sarcastically as she went to her dad for a hug.

Kate approached the pair, shyly picking up her coat from the entrance floor beside her husband. "I'm really sorry for that, Alexis," she said as she placed her hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. She did feel extremely guilty. Had the girl made herself known only a couple minutes later, who knows what she would have walked into?

Pulling away from her dad, Alexis laughed, "It's fine Kate, next time I'll put a note on the door. 'Beware, Daughter Inside'"

They all laughed, but Kate's was forced. This was mostly her fault, damn hormones driving her crazy. Things like this shouldn't happen. She knew Alexis was coming home today, she should have remembered. She didn't want the girl to feel like an intruder, especially now, with the baby on the way.

Rick grabbed his daughter by the wrist and pulled her into another warm embrace, "Seriously though, we're happy you're home. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, daddy," she said as she snuggled up to him.

Kate smiled at the picture of the pair. She hung up her coat and closed the entrance closet, heading towards the living room. She wanted to give the father-daughter duo their much needed cuddle time. Law at Columbia wasn't treating the younger Castle gently. With her full course load, extra-curriculars and boyfriend, she had her hands full, and the ever so perfectionist, Alexis didn't seem to find enough hours in a day. This meant she hardly ever came home during the week-ends, and never had time during the week.

Kate slumped into the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the news. She laid her head down, on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. The 4 am body drop, really had taken a toll on her body.

_Only a short nap. Not even that, I'll just close my eyes for a couple minutes. They won't notice._

She didn't get a couple of minutes. The monotone voice of the lady on screen hadn't even begun to fade when Kate felt the cushion shift beside her. She turned her head and opened her eyes. She smiled as she was greeted by her step-daughter's contagious grin.

"I don't get a hug?" the red-head asked playfully.

Kate bit her lower, lip, "Alexis, of course you get a hug. I just wanted to leave you and your father your little moment." Kate opened her arms, "Come here." She pulled her into her arms and whispered into her ear, "I've missed you too, Lex."

"And I've missed you," she whispered back.

Running her hand through the girl's hair, Kate explained softly, "Alexis, I'm really sorry I forgot you were coming home today. I don't want you to be uncomfortable coming back, ok? It's just the case, the hormones, _everything's_ driving me crazy."

Alexis muffled a laugh, "Yeah, _crazy_ for something alright. But, ewe. Yeah. No. Ewe."

"And, you don't want to hear about that. Right."

"No Kate, seriously, you guys are adorable. Just he's my dad and hum… Some things I still don't want to see. Some things I don't even want to think about," the girl shivered as she said it, "But I hope I manage to find something resembling what you guys have when I'm old-_er_."

"Nice save there, young one."

"Yeah…" Alexis's smile grew wider, "So, how's my little bro doing? Still cozy in there?"

"Nice change of subject, there."

"I know. Baby bro, here for the save," she winked.

"He's doing quite well. Has all his parts, been growing well."

"Hey, buddy. I've missed you too," she said as she approached her hands to Beckett's grown abdomen, "May I?"

"Sure, Alexis." She took the red-head's hand and placed it on the spot she could feel Malcom was asleep, because yes, the damn name did seem to be sticking.

"So you're staying until Tuesday, right?"

"Yeah, 2 days. Zach has his last exam on Monday. Then on Tuesday, were flying to Missigauga, spending a week with his family and everything."

"Ohhhh, a week with the in-laws. It's getting serious, am I mistaking?"

"No. It is. We're doing good, he's really an awesome guy."

"I'm really happy for you. I even think he has your father's seal of approval, so that's saying something."

"Talking about me behind my back now, are we?" asked Rick behind them.

"Maybe we are," answered Kate turning around, smiling.

He accosted his chin on the back of the couch between both their heads and sprung one arm around Alexis, on around Kate, strategically setting his hand over her bulging stomach, gently caressing it, "So how are my 3 favorite people doing?"

"Good," they both answered smiling and rolling their eyes.

"What about grams?"

"I rephrase, how are 3 _of _my favorite people?"

* * *

Castle hurried back to her desk, two steaming cups in hand. The boys had come and left already. They were hardly ever there, Esposito and Ryan were always the ones on the field. Castle would be lying if he said he didn't miss it at least a little, the adrenaline, but he was here and he was with her, so he really didn't mind.

Beckett had sent them away to scout an airport. She had had a lingering feeling. The short answers they had given her, their evasive tones, she had the feeling they were hiding something, but that was nowhere near enough to order them in for an interview. So the boys would just have to rattle the cage a little, see what would shake out.

He stared at her, on the phone, behind the huge pile of paperwork stacked on her desk. She smiled at him.

_There better be a lead somewhere in those files because that smile of hers will dissipate fairly quickly. _

He sat down in his chair and handed her, her cup, purposefully letting their fingers linger.

"Thanks," she mouthed.

His eyes inquired as he, in turn, mouthed "Who?"

"It's Lanie," she whispered, a hand covering the receiver, before continuing on with her conversation.

"No, I can't."

"Lanie, I'm not being stubborn and purposefully difficult. They're not here, so I can't send them right now."

"They're investigating, it's what we do. Can't you just tell me over the phone?"

"You want who?"

"I know I can't, Lanie. Formaldehyde's not good for the baby, you told me already."

"Yeah."

"I know."

"Yes, _mom_."

"I. Know."

"God, please stop, I'll send him. Okay?"

She hung up, and turned around. Castle was trying not to show his amusement. He had only heard one side of the conversation, but he could imagine the other.

"Castle, you're up. Lanie wants to show you something," she groaned.

"Alone? Seriously?"

"She found something during the autopsy. The boys are at the airport and I can't go. Your turn on the bat, rookie, don't mess it up."

"_Rookie_?"

"Just go Castle," she added as she fished out the keys from her pocket and threw them at him.

"And I get to drive your car, this day keeps getting better and better," he added with a smile as he hurried to the elevator.

She watched him hop away. He was such a child. It wasn't like she had never let him drive her car before.

"I'll be right back, boss!" he yelled before the elevators closed in front of him.

_Yup. Boss._

She eyed the huge pile of files before her as she sat back down. She picked up the first file. It was Mr. Franklin's recent client list, but it was the one right underneath that caught her attention. She jumped, surprised to find it. She really had though he was a middle class, honest man, but as it seemed to turn out, not so much. She laid the client list aside and picked up the other file. This ought to be good.

She smiled as she began to read. This was it. This was the lead she needed. She continued reading, now devouring the pages, on after the other. Castle couldn't get back fast enough.

* * *

**Turns out adding Alexis was really hard.**

**Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?**


End file.
